Nine Lives by Sharon Sala Page A

these detectives were crazy if they thought they were going to take him away from all he’d created.
    As soon as his foot hit the last stair and not before, he acknowledged their presence with a nod.
    â€œGentlemen, please come with me. We’ll have our conversation in the library. There’s a nice fire in the fireplace that will offset the discomfort of the weather today.”
    Bradley and Frost followed.
    Mark walked all the way to the fireplace, then turned abruptly, placing one hand on the mantel and gesturing toward the sofa with the other.
    â€œPlease. Have a seat. Can I get you something to drink? Coffee? Tea?”
    â€œNo, thank you,” Bradley said, and pulled a notebook from an inside pocket of his coat as he sat. “Mr. Presley, we’ll get straight to the point. We’re investigating the disappearance of Marsha Benton. We understand she—”
    Mark interrupted quickly, letting surprise color his expression.
    â€œMarsha is missing? That’s terrible! I hadn’t heard.”
    Bradley frowned.
    â€œAs I was saying…we understand she’d been working for you for several years and that you’d recently fired her. Is this true?”
    Mark never broke eye contact.
    â€œYes. She’d been with me for years. I hated to lose her.”
    Frost spoke up next.
    â€œThen why is she no longer working for you? We’ve been told she was fired.”
    Mark took his hand from the mantel and moved to a large easy chair opposite the sofa. When he sat down, he leaned forward, elbows on his knees. The gesture was open and inviting, as he meant it to be.
    â€œThat’s true. I did fire her.” Then he glanced up at the doorway, as if making sure they were still alone, and slightly lowered his voice, making their conversation even more intimate. “It was a shock, to say the least. She’d been with me for…oh…I don’t know…going on nine years, I think. Absolutely priceless when it came to organization. Always on top of everything concerning my work and travel. She’s going to be hard to replace.”
    â€œSo if she’s so great, why replace her?” Bradley asked.
    Mark’s voice softened yet again.
    â€œIt was a shock, and embarrassing, I tell you. Completely blindsided me.”
    â€œWhat did?” Bradley asked.
    Mark grimaced slightly. “We were working late last week, and out of the blue she began coming on to me. At first I thought she was kidding, although that kind of humor was definitely out of place, but she persisted.”
    â€œI told her I was flattered, but that my wife and my marriage meant everything to me, and that I wasn’t interested.”
    Bradley stifled a snort. He’d already researched enough of Presley’s background to know he was anything but faithful to his wife. Still, that wasn’t proof of any kind of crime.
    â€œHow did she take that?” Bradley asked.
    Mark shook his head, as if in concern.
    â€œShe was upset…started crying and saying that she’d loved me for years and couldn’t stay quiet about it any longer. At that point I suggested that perhaps she would be happier working at one of the other corporate offices.”
    â€œAnd…?”
    Mark acknowledged Frost’s interruption.
    â€œAnd she would have none of it. She began to disrobe, which shocked me. I told her to get her things and get out, that she was no longer needed in my company.”
    â€œSo she offered you a freebie and you fired her?”
    Mark frowned. The detective was doing little to disguise his sarcasm. He stood up. “I don’t like your tone.”
    Bradley stood up as well. “Yeah, and it’s been years since I believed in fairy tales. All fantasies aside, when was the last time you saw Miss Benton?”
    â€œThree days ago, when I let her go,” Mark said.
    â€œWhat do you have to say about the fact that there are claims she was pregnant with